The Sins of the Father
by MollyAtwell
Summary: When the Wickhams children are left orphaned Miss Esther Darcy must fight her parents' prejudices to ensure that her cousins are safe, even when she is unsure whether George Wickham the younger isn't his father's heir.
1. Chapter 1

Miss Esther Darcy knew more about her parents' love life than most girls would ever want to, but to her it was just so perfect. From the time she could speak she had here parents tell and retell how they met and hated each other and fought over Aunt Jane and Uncle Charles and all of the trouble with Mr. Wickham and through all that managed to find a love that had nurtured her all of her life and gave her twelve brothers and sisters. Now at the age of nineteen, a year after coming out into society, she was looking for the the same and nothing but the deepest love would ever force her into matrimony.

Esther was taking breakfast with her siblings, her parents took dinner alone in their parlor and her Aunt Georgiana and her family took theirs alone as well. She sat between her eldest brother, the seventeen year old Malcolm at the head of the table, and her youngest brother, Arthur who was only two and still needed attention when eating. Across the table from her was her nearest sister Charlotte with her nose stuck in a book as always, next to Lottie the oldest group of boys, Charles, William and Bennet discussed their plans for the day. After Arthur the youngest sister, Alice, who was very proud to be eating all by her self now and after Alice was Elizabeth, Amelia and Jane all of whom where very focused Eliza's sampler which she had been working on for the past two days. At the very end of the table sat Bingley and Isaac the most rambunctious boys in the house who drive their mother and Mrs. Reynolds up the wall.

"Essie" A small voice whined, Arthur leaned over the small tray on his highchair grabbing for a piece of toast, "Essie, help."

"There you are my dear,"

"Esther?" Eliza pleaded looking down at her sampler, "Esther how do you fix this stitch?

"Just like this love."

"Esther, do you remember when Charlie and Joshua are coming up?" Charles shouted from the other side of the table, "Oh and Aunt Jane and Uncle Charles and their girl."

"Aunt Jane, Uncle Charles, Charlie, Joshua and _Elinor _are coming up in two weeks."

"Esther, can we be excused?" Bingley shouted running out the door, with Isaac by the hand.

"Thank you, Esther!" Isaac added

"Miss Darcy?"

"Yes, Mrs. Reynolds." Her temper short

"You and Master Malcolm are needed in parlor, we have guests and your parents are not to be disturbed."

"Of course Mrs. Reynolds."

Malcolm rose from his chair and folded his newspaper, for a boy of only seventeen he had all the seriousness and stoic of his father.

"Who on Earth good it be that couldn't wait for Papa to finish his tea, honestly." Esther pushed aside her chair and took Malcolm's arm.

"Keep your temper, if it fell down to us it must be something that cannot be ignored, something important." Malcolm had always been ready for his personal time to shine to prove to his father that Pemberley would be safe with him. Mrs. Reynolds showed them to the parlor where they were met by a young man, about their cousin Charlie's age, and a group of seven or eight young women all ranging in ages from Esther's to Bennet's. All of them were dressed in rags or near rags at most all dingy and dank.

"Master Malcolm Darcy and Miss Esther Darcy." Mrs. Reynolds annonced to the guests and then left them in the parlor.

"I don't believe we've been introduced, Mr.?" Malcolm stuck out his hand to shake ever the gentleman.

"Ah" The man took it, "It's Wickham, George Wickham." Malcolm quickly retracted his hand and a few moments of silence ensued, Malcolm wondering whether calling for Papa's help would be worth Papa knowing that he had let a Wickham into the manor.

"Obviously not the elder, I am his son, your aunt Lydia's son and these are my sisters." He spoke calmly and clearly not at all how either Darcy expected a Wickham to be, "We are desperately in need of your help."

"You and your family have _desperately _needed our help before," Malcolm forced halfway between fear and anger, "Why should we believe you now."

"We have no where else to go, please."

"And I suppose that your parents will want in on this help?" Esther spoke up, she had heard what the elder Mr. Wickham had done to her dear Aunt Georgie, and she wasn't going to give him anything without a fight.

"No," he seemed stern, almost the image of her grandfather Bennet, "they're both dead, my father for thirteen years now and my mother just recently disappeared. You are they only family we know how to find, the Bingley's are constantly moving, Aunt Mary has no room and Aunt Kitty's husband is a clergyman who wants nothing to do with the children of scandal. I don't want money, just a place for my sisters to stay until I have found a job and a home for us."

"Malcolm, show the girls to the guest wing and make sure they are probably settled in," though Malcolm was the heir he had little to no power over his elder sister and he obey by taking the eldest Miss Wickham's, who introduced herself as Julia, arm, "I will take Mr. Wickham to see Papa about the finalities of this matter."

Malcolm and the girls all left immediately all the girls trailing behind Malcolm and Julia, single-file like a line of ducklings.

"You could call us the Bennets if it makes you more comfortable, I know what my father did to your family and I wouldn't expect you to forgive me right away." George spoke quickly hardly taking time to breathe, "If it's the christian name that bothers you please call me Edward, my middle name."

"Sir, don't worry," Esther laughed, "A son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity. I will allow you your own righteousness and your own wickedness. Come, Papa doesn't like to be interrupted at breakfast, though I am sure he will make an exception for such an intrigue."

"I certainly hope so, Miss Darcy."


	2. Chapter 2

Mister Fitzwilliam Darcy, the master of Pemberley, had taken breakfast with his delightfully beautiful and brilliant wife everyday since they were newlyweds. He had made exceptions at the birth of each of their children, though he was there the next day to share breakfast in bed with his recovering wife. The servants from the very beginning had been told never to interrupt and he knew he had taught both his staff and his children to follow orders, which is why the knock on the door was so worrying.

"Papa? Mamma? May I come in?" Their eldest called from the other side of the door

"Yes, my star, of course." Darcy answered, nothing had brought him more joy than his baby girl, even some eighteen years after anyone could properly call her a baby. In his eyes she could do no wrong, even if she interrupted breakfast.

"I have a guest with me, it's rather urgent."

"No matter, bring them in as well, we're ready for the day." he beamed as his daughter entered the parlor followed by a young man who looked the spitting image of his father-in-law in his early years. The resemblance of her father, dead now for twelve years, silenced Lizzie, a rare occurrence that was something of a bad omen in Pemberley.

"Good day sir, I'm sorry for bothering you so early, but my sisters have been pestering me to see you as soon as we reached Derby."

"Never you mind all that, tell him what you told me and Malcolm." Esther urged eager to end this anticipation.

"Sir, I am your nephew, Lydia and Wickham's son and I am not proud of my father, you have seen how he treated women, you can only imagine how he treated children. My mother disappeared nearly a month ago and you are the only family we have left. I do not want money or social standing, simply a place for my sisters to stay while I find a place for us." Somehow Mr. Wickham managed this all in one breath giving Mr. Darcy no time to interrupt, his face turned from it's loving form to the steely countenance Mrs. Darcy had first seen him wearing.

"Leave. Now. I promised my sister and myself a long time ago that no Wickham would be welcome in this house."

"Please Sir, I am as much a Bennet as Esther..."

"You will not refer to my daughter by her Christian name. You will call her Miss Darcy if you address her at all."

"Of course sir, but still I am as much a Bennet as Miss Darcy or any of your other children and my sisters have nowhere else to go."

"No, a rotten apple does not fall far from it's tree, I will not have a Wickham in the lives of my children or nephews."

"Very well Sir, I am sorry to have wasted your time." George turned and without Esther's guidance left the parlor to find his sisters.

"Wait, come back." Lizzie finally spoke raising from her settee a rushing to the door and running after her nephew and returning moments later with him in tow and sat him down next to her. "You have not even told us your name."

"It's the same as my father's ma'am, but you can call me by my middle name if that would put you at ease."

"I think it would, thank you."

"Then it's Edward ma'am." Esther watching with mounting excitement as she knew that her mother was up to something and that Edward seemed to have regained some sort of hope.

"I insist you call me Lizzie," Mrs. Darcy smiled, "How old are you, and your sisters how many are there?"

"Well Aunt Lizzie I am twenty-one and I have eight sisters, the eldest is twenty and the youngest is barely thirteen."

"And their names? I'm sure they are beautiful, Lydia was always so creative."

"By age they are Julia, Frances, Abigail, Sophia, Clara, Susanna, Celia and Evelyn."

"Well I am certain we can find rooms for all of you, though some of the girls may have to share when we have guest." Lizzie grinned at the joy on her nephew's face.

"Lizzie what on Earth are you doing." Darcy growled, "He's a Wickham."

"And a Bennet, he is my sister's child and I will not force him and sisters to live of scraps when I have the power to help him."

"Lizzie, it's not that simple."

"Of course it is. Had you not been able to stop Georgiana, had she run off with that- that blackguard, could you honestly say you would refuse her children the safety you have refused Edward and his sisters."

"No." Darcy sighed and pulled his chin to his neck, the ultimate sign that he was beaten

"So we can stay?" Edward asked standing up and facing Mr. Darcy

"Yes, Lizzie could you and Esther see how Edward's sisters are getting on." Mrs and Miss Darcy took their cue and left the Darcy with his nephew. "You are here due to the kindness of my wife and daughter and I am willing to humor them, but if you for a single second make me think that you live up to your name you will leave this house immediately."

"Yes, Sir."

"Is there anyway that Lydia could be alive?" Darcy questioned, his wife's argument had softened his view, but he still didn't like them here.

"In the circles she ran in there was no gray area, you were alive and here or dead and gone, she vanished for all intents and purposes my mother is dead."

"Fine, you and your siblings may stay here. Your sisters will be taught proper behavior for women of gentle birth and in time may be allowed their coming out if they do well. I will teach you or have you taught for what ever profession you wish, but I will not make my father's mistakes, he was never able to discipline a child that wasn't his so your father never knew the consequences of his actions. You will know the consequences."

"Of course sir, may I go see to my sisters now." Darcy nodded and Edward gave a short bow. "Thank you sir."

"You had better not let me regret this Wickham."


End file.
